Three-dimensional game apparatus



I Dec. 21, 1965 R SCI-{RAM 3,224,778

THREE-DIMENSIONAL GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e INVENIOR. Q fi/c/mea R .SCHEAM Dec. 21, 1965 R. R. SCHRAM 3,224,778

THREE-DIMENSIONAL GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. R/c/m 20 R. SCI/RAM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,224,778 THREE-DIMENSIONAL GAME APPARATUS Richard R. Scliram, South Gate, Calif., assign0r of ten percent to Martin Nagy, Downey, Calif., and ten percent to Simeon P. Owens, South Gate, Calif.

Filed Sept. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 141,786 Claims. (Cl. 273-130) This invention relates to game apparatus and has for an object to provide electrically-operated means for establishing a line or lines in space by marking or designating points on such line or lines, the game constituting a contest of wits between two or more players each essaying to establish such lines while, at the same time, preempting points and, thereby, defeating an opponents attempts to establish a line or lines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus that provides means for establishing lines in space in a three-dimensional arrangement, the game embodying player-controlled means for tick-tack-toe or a modification thereof in three dimensions rather than in a single plane, as is common.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical game of the character above referred to that is switch-operated without loose pieces or men and capable of repeated contests between those playing by the apparatus as provided.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use,

easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by Way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of three-dimensional game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a basically simple manner of practicing the invention by establishing a point in a Cartesian coordinate system and enabling designation of such point as being the point established by one of the players of the game.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of one of a plurality of point-designating units used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary sectional view of one of a plurality of player-controlled switches used in the invention, the same being shown in open-circuit position. 1

FIG. 5 is a similar view of such a switch in circuitclosing position.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the unit shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram embodying a practical electrical circuit interconnecting the units and switches of the present apparatus.

The present game apparatus comprises, generally, a chassis 10, a complement of multi-hole electrical sockets 11 provided in said chassis, a plurality of units 12 removably mounted in said sockets, two similar complements of switches 13 and 13:: mounted on opposite ends of the chassis and electrically connected to said sockets and, therefore, to the units 12, and a source of current 3 ,224,778 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 14 to illuminate said units according to the manipulation by the players of the switches 13.

While two complements of switches 13 are shown for use by two players or contestants, four may be embodied in the game so that four players may play the game,

Each unit 12 is designed to provide not only the designations for two or more points but to show such points in different colors related to the diiferent players. FIG. 2, in simple form, illustrates how a single current source 14 provides electricity to illuminate one of two lamps 15 and 15a according to which one of two switches 13 and 13a is closed. If one lamp is red and the other white, for instance, the enclosing spheres 16 around said lamps will be illuminated red or white accordingly.

The chassis 10 is shown as a rectangular base having an elevated middle portion 17 and oppositely directed end portions 18 and 18a. The chassis shown is provided for a two-player game apparatus, it being evident that by providing the chassis with two additional end portions in cruciform arrangement with the portions 18 and 18a, a four-player apparatus will be provided.

The chassis portion 17 is provided with the mentioned complement of sockets 11, which, in FIG. 1, are shown in three-sided quadrangular arrangement. Therefore, there are nine sockets 11 in the apparatus shown. It will be clear that more or fewer sockets may be provided. as desired, provided the same are arranged along lontigudinal, transversely and diagonal lines in conformance with one of the planes of a Cartesian coordinate system. In the present case, each socket 11 is provided with a common terminal 19 and with two groups of selective terminals 20 and 20a. In this instance, each said group is comprised of three terminals, since the apparatus shown is based on a three-on-a-side Cartesian coordinate system and the units 12 are designed accordingly.

There are nine units 12, one for each socket 11. Each said unit is shown as a base 21 from which upwardly eX- tends a tubular member 22 in which is formed three equally spaced spherical enlargements 16 on spacing that is the same as the spacing between the sockets 11. Sa d members 22 are advantageously made of thin plastic material of such translucency that an interior light will illuminate the same in areas local to such light, and preferably of two longitudinal plastic shells joined along seams 24. The tubular portions 25 between the spherical enlargements 16 may be rendered opaque or may be blocked oif from interior light so that only the enlargements 16 will become illuminated.

Illumination of the enlargements is by means of two complements of lamps 15 and 15a. The lamps 15 are disposed one in each enlargement 16 and are white or clear to give a white light that illuminates said enlargements with a white glow. The lamps 15:: are similarly disposed one in each enlargement 16 and are red (or other desired color) to give a colored light that illuminates said enlargements with a colored glow. In the usual way, said lamps 15 and 15a of each unit 12 are mounted in the respective sockets 26 and 26a, which by means of a common conductor 27 are connected to a prong 28 extending from the end of the base 21 of each said unit 12. In spaced arrangement to effect electrical contact with the respective groups of terminals 20 and 20a, each base 21 is provided with two groups of prongs 29 and 29a to which the sockets 26 and 26a are wired by means of a multiple conductor 30.

Since, as seen in FIG. 6, the prongs 28, 29 and 29a are in an arrangement that allows their connection with a socket 11 only in one position, the respective terminals 19, 20 and 20a of the sockets have the same relationship to the respective units 12 connected to the sockets.

Except that they are oppositely arranged on the ends 18 and 18a of the chassis, the groups or complements of switches 13 and 13a are alike. Each group comprises twenty-seven similar switches-the same number as the respective lamps 15 and 15a in the nine units 12. Said switch groups are respectively arranged in groups of nine and in three tiers or levels 31, 32 and 33 to correspond with the three levels at which the spherical enlargements 16 are disposed.

Said switches 13 and 13a, by means of conductors 34 and 3401, are connected to the respective terminals and 20a of the sockets 11, as may be seen in FIG. 7. Since the groups of switches 13 and 13a are each arranged in coordination with the three tiers of spherical enlargements 16 and the lamps 15 and 15a therein, the respective switches are connected to the socket terminals 20 and 20a in conformance therewith.

Each switch 13 and 13a, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises a lever 35 with a preferably dielectric handle 36 and mounted on a pivot 37 beneath a conductor plate 38 which is common to each group of nine switches in the respective tiers 31, 32 and 33. A projection 39 on each lever 35 is directed to operatively engage a leaf spring terminal 40 in which is provided a detent recess or notch 41. Normally, the lever 35 extends through a clearance hole 42 in plate 38. When actuated on the pivot 37, the lever establishes an electrical bridge between said plate and said terminal and maintains the same by engagement of projection 39 in detent recess 40.

As shown in FIG. 7, each plate 38, by means of a conductor 43, is connected to one side of a current source, and the common terminal 19 of each socket 11 is connected to the other side of said current source by a conductor 44.

If the current source 14 is a battery or other low voltage-generating means, the same may be directly connected to said conductors 43 and 44. Where higher voltage is used in the source, house current, for instance, a stepdown transformer 45 may be used to reduce the current in the lamp circuits, the line 14 being connected to the primary of the transformer and the conductors 43 and 44 to the secondary, as shown in FIG. 7.

The players alternate in closing switches and thus illuminating spherical enlargements according to their particular colors, thereby establishing as many points of illumination in that color in three-point lines, as possible. After all the enlargements are lit up, the player having the most lines of illumination is the Winner of the contest.

Although FIG. 7 shows a single plate 38 on each end of the apparatus, it will be clear that the same represents the three plates shown at each end in FIG. 1.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A game apparatus for providing lines in space in a player-controlled three dimensional game apparatus, comprising a chassis, a plurality of complements of switches spaced from each other and mounted on said chassis, a plurality of sockets mounted on the chassis arranged in parallel equally spaced rows with the individual sockets equally spaced in two directions and the sockets extending in longitudinal, transverse and diagonal lines, and light units mounted in each socket and extending vertically therefrom, said light units being of translucent tubular form including equally spaced enlarged spheres separated by restricted tubular portions, the number of spheres in each unit corresponding to the number of sockets in each row occupied by operating light units, a pair of lamps arranged end to end in each sphere with the lamp of each pair being of a distinguishing color from the other lamp, a source of electric current, wiring means connecting one lamp in each sphere with one complement of switches and the other lamp in each sphere with another spaced complement of switches, whereby the players controlling each complement of switches can selectively illuminate selected spherical enlargements to establish desired points of illumination in three lines in distinguishing colors.

2. Three-dimensional game apparatus according to claim 1 in which the wiring means comprises a set of electric sockets in the chassis and wired to the complements of switches, and a set of prongs at the end of each unit enterable into the sockets and wired inwardly of the units to the lamps within each sphere to thereby electrically connect said lamps to the switches.

3. In three-dimensional game apparatus according to claim 1, each complement of switches being comprised of groups disposed on different elevation levels according to the number of spheres in each unit.

4. A three-dimensional game apparatus according to claim 1 in which the plurality of complements of switches are arranged in tiers with each tier controlling pre-selected light units.

5. A three-dimensional game apparatus according to claim 1 in which the pair of lamps in each sphere are mounted in sockets positioned in the adjacent restricted tubular portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 655,264 8/1900 Nichol 2731 1,434,727 11/1922 Allen 315313 XR 2,313,473 3/1943 Heacock et al. 273 3,061,715 10/1962 Thomas 24010 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,749 5/ 1930 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD W. VARNER, LOUIS R. PRINCE,

Examiners. 

1. A GAME APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING LINES IN SPACE IN A PLAYER-CONTROLLED THREE DIMENSIONAL GAME APPARATUS, COMPRISING A CHASSIS, A PLURALITY OF COMPLEMENTS OF SWITCHES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND MOUNTED ON SAID CHASSIS, A PLURALITY OF SOCKETS FORMED ON THE CHASSIS ARRANGED IN PARALLEL EQUALLY SPACED ROWS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL SOCKETS EQUALLY SPACED IN TWO DIMENSIONS AND THE SOCKETS EXTENDING IN LONGITUDINAL, TRANSVERSE AND DIAGONAL LINES, AND LIGHT UNITS MOUNTED IN EACH SOCKET AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY THEREFROM, SAID LIGHT UNITS BEING OF TRANSLUCENT TUBULAR FORM INCLUDING EQUALLY SPACED ENLARGED SPHERES SEPARATED BY RESTRICTED TUBUAR PORTIONS, THE NUMBER OF SPHERES IN EACH UNIT CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF SOCKETS IN EACH ROW OCCUPIED BY OPERATING LIGHT UNITS, A PAIR OF LAMPS ARRANGED END TO END IN EACH SPHERE WITH THE LAMP OF EACH PAIR BEING OA DISTINGUISHING COLOR FROM THE OTHER LAMP, A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT, WIRING MEANS CONNECTING ONE LAMP IN EACH SPHERE WITH ONE COMPLEMENT OF SWITCHES AND THE OTHER LAMP IN EACH SPHERE WITH ANOTHER SPACED COMPLEMENT OF SWITCHES, WHEREBY THE PLAYERS CONTROLLING EACH COMPLEMENT OF SWITCHES CAN SELECTIVELY ILLUMINATE SELECTED SPHERICAL ENLARGEMENTS TO ESTABLISH DESIRED POINTS OF ILLUMINATION IN THREE LINES IN DISTIGUISHING COLORS. 